Adam Elliot – sings and drums really good
Beth Murphy – sings and keyboards better every day, so cool
Jared Phillips – guitars excellently like he’s really good or something
::::::::::Metro 11/15/08:::::::Empty Bottle 10/15/09::::::::::
First off, the Metro. It was probably the worst hangover I’ve ever had. I remember almost passing out from vertigo when I made the mistake of bobbing my head. I knew I shouldn’t have done it but they were so good and I had never heard them before. Self control… I have none. I remember as they took the stage I couldn’t figure out if Jared was cool or not. He’s so tall and had really nerdy hair but his guitar was badass so I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. Then they started. The first song was a bit rocky but then, whoosh! They exploded. Adam’s hair was still long. He had his microphone about an inch from his snare drum and his shoulder length mop draped so that he was actually drumming on his own hair. Really, why am I so focused on their hair? Beth’s hair was nice but her mic was too quiet. The sound usually blows at the Metro. Onwards. Adam’s microphone (as per usual) was blown which gave his vocals this crazy distortion. My friend, Caitlin, was with me that night; she didn’t like them much. C’est la vie. They’re a polarizing band and not for the normal or well adjusted. Ha! The funny thing is that I know that Caitlin’s going to be mad at me for saying she’s well adjusted; it’s a compliment.
Eleven months go by, my heart is swelling day to day as I fall deeply in love with this grungy psychedelic mess that is Times New Viking. I download all their albums and buy Rip It Off on vinyl which I highly recommend everyone in the entire world does. I’m sure Matador is aware of how extreme my influence on the outside is so, hear that guys? Better start the presses. Ok, sorry, keep going… God, where was I? Re-read… Man, I haven’t even started. So I had yet to this point convinced a single other soul of the awesomeness of Times New Viking and was forced to go to this show solo. I got their waaaaay to early and sat at the bar alone for like two hours diddling stupid poems in my journal (that Caitlin bought for me in Italy, thanks!). I was also extremely broke and spent pretty much all of my money on the five dollar admission. No beer for me. At one point Beth came and sat next to me at the bar. We didn’t talk but she seemed really nice and smiled at me politely as she sat down to eat her hipster hash from next door (which I coveted biblically).
I eventually got bored and walked down the street to my friend Molly’s place (aka the Hobbit Hole) and got really stoned. Whoops, here we go. I don’t usually smoke so I had a full on anxiety attack as I walked back into the Empty Bottle and started bumping into people everywhere being the total klutz that I am. Luckily, as Times New Viking took the stage, Adam announced he had been smoking crystal meth just minutes before and named his source in front of all of us. Ha ha! I didn’t feel too bad after that. If he can do drugs and not be ashamed so can I, right? This show was amazing. There weren’t a lot of people there but the set list was killer, a back and forth between their pop punk (and I use that term loosely) and their gutter sludge punk from their newest badass album, Born Again (revisited). Buy that one too if you can.
Times New Viking’s recordings are extremely lo-fi. This may put some people off as you find yourself straining to cut through the abrasive textures. There is nary a low end in sight for the majority of their catalogue. Regardless of this, Times New Viking is responsible for some the most well written and catchiest, not to mention gut wrenchingly exciting music of the last decade. They sound like a band of anarchists who are living inside of a disarmed nuclear weapon only they feel the need to arm it themselves, with love. They are hippies but smart. They are excellent musicians. They have one of the most ridiculous and unique melodic styles I have ever heard. They are evolving. They’re a work of art.
Here’s a live concert which, oddly enough, is of a higher fidelity than any of their albums. Please download this and buy their records.
Discography:
Dig Yourself Silt Breeze 2005
Present the Paisley Reich Silt Breeze 2006
Rip It Off Matador 2008
Born Again (revisited) Matador 2009
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